Minerva's Sick Winter Holidays
by Minerva McGonagall 62
Summary: Set in Minerva's, Poppy's, and Rolanda's fifth Hogwarts year, when they spend the winter holidays sick at Hogwarts. Completely AU. Written for Healer Pomfrey's writing contest. Repost of my slightly changed original story


**Minerva's Sick Winter Holidays**

_For Healer Pomfrey's winter writing contest! Thanks to Healer Pomfrey for betaing!_

_Everything here belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own none of this.__ I'm not an English native speaker. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

Minerva worriedly watched her best friend Poppy Pomfrey sigh over her Transfiguration homework. Normally, Poppy was always the first to finish her homework and always tried to motivate Minerva and Rolanda to study a bit more than necessary. Today, Minerva and Rolanda had already finished their homework before dinner, and Rolanda was spending the evening on the Quidditch pitch. Minerva gave Poppy a piercing look, noticing that her normally colourless face was flushed deeply and her eyes looked a bit glassy.

"Poppy, are you feeling well?" she asked in concern, when she saw that her best friend fiercely rubbed her forehead.

"Not really," the girl admitted. "I feel a bit lightheaded. I think I'll go to the Potions classroom and brew some Pepper Up potion just in case."

"You what?" Minerva let out a gasp. "Poppy, do you know how late it is?"

"I know that, Minnie, but it's better than having to stay a week in bed because of a neglected cold or something. I don't know if I'll need it, but if I notice that I need it, I won't be well enough to brew it, if you know what I mean."

"Shall I help you prepare the ingredients?" Minerva asked and groaned inwardly at her friend's stubbornness. She wanted to become a Healer, and the Mediwitch had already agreed to train her after her OWLs, which she was going to take next summer, but if Poppy came down with something, she avoided the hospital wing like the plague.

"Yes please, Minnie," Poppy said gratefully, and the two fifth years headed down to the Potions classroom, which was fortunately empty at that time shortly before curfew.

Two hours later, the two girls were back in their dormitory, where their classmates were already fast asleep except for Rolanda, who wasn't there yet. Minerva observed worriedly, how Poppy let herself sink onto her bed in exhaustion. She walked over to the bed next to her own and sat down on the edge, gently extending a hand to Poppy's forehead.

"Poppy, I think you have a fever. You're very hot. Can you take your temperature with a spell?"

Poppy lightly shook her head. "No, unfortunately, I can't use any of the diagnostic spells I know on myself. But you're right. I feel feverish. Let me teach you the spell." She sat next to Minerva and pointed her wand at Minerva's head. "Just point it at my head like this and say the incantation 'Temperaturam revelio'." Green numbers emerged from the tip of her wand, displaying, '36.4 (97.5).'

Minerva motioned Poppy to lie down and pulled her wand, pointing it at her friend's head. A green 35.2 emerged, causing Poppy to groan.

"Minnie, I don't know what you did, but I don't think it's correct. Can you please try again? Or just let me take the Pepper Up potion and try to sleep," Poppy whispered, and Minerva noticed that her voice was beginning to fail.

Minerva tried the spell several more times, seeing that the result was different each time. However, after a dozen times, she managed to get the same result three times in succession. An orange '38.8 (102)' appeared at the tip of her wand, causing Minerva to frown. "Poppy, are you sure that you don't want to go to the hospital wing?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Poppy replied, gulping down a dose of the Pepper Up potion, mumbling, "I should have brewed a fever reducer too."

In the meantime, Rolanda had returned to the dormitory and asked what was wrong. Minerva quickly filled her in, and Rolanda promised, "I'll go and try to nick a fever reducer from the hospital wing."

"Please be careful, Rolanda," Minerva said sternly, while she conjured a cool cloth and gently bathed her friend's hot face. She remained the whole night at Poppy's side, tried to cool her down, and practised the spell to take her temperature several dozen times, noticing that it seemed to work and that her friend's fever didn't come down in spite of the fever reducing potion.

"Hmm?" Poppy croaked, stirring when Minerva once more bathed her hot face with the cold cloth.

"Poppy, you're worse than in the evening. Your fever is a degree higher," Minerva informed her friend in concern.

"That means that it's not a cold," Poppy replied thoughtfully, gulping down another dose of the fever reducer, glad that Rolanda had brought a few phials. "But let me just stay in bed today, and if it's worse in the evening, I'll go to the hospital wing. Perhaps it's the wizard's flu. Can you try to cast that spell on me?" She showed Minerva a wand movement along with the correct incantation, and Minerva found that it was easier than the spell to reveal the temperature. Her wand flared green as she cast the spell.

"No, then it's not the flu. That's good, because I wouldn't want you to catch it from me," Poppy croaked, sounding relieved. "I'll think about what it could be while you're in class and teach you the spells tonight," she whispered, drifting back to sleep.

Minerva looked at her watch. It was nearly time to get up. She decided to take a hot shower, hoping to make it through her classes without falling asleep. Fortunately, her friend Rolanda managed to keep her awake, but in her Potions class she had such a hard time concentrating that she managed to blow up her cauldron.

"Detention with me tonight, Ms. McGonagall," Professor Malkin told her sternly, causing Minerva to groan inwardly.

During the first afternoon class, which was Transfiguration, her favourite class, she noticed that she was getting a splitting headache. '_I'll have to sleep for a few hours_,' she mused, glad that only a History of Magic class was left until the winter holidays. '_I wonder if Poppy will be well enough to go home tomorrow. Otherwise I should remain here with her._'

"Ms. McGonagall, are you listening at all?" she all of a sudden heard Professor Dumbledore's voice.

"Yes Professor," she replied wearily, fiercely rubbing her right hand over her forehead.

Noticing that Minerva still didn't participate in the practice he had assigned, the teacher came over and asked worriedly, "Are you alright, Ms. McGonagall? And where is Ms. Pomfrey today?"

"Poppy was feeling unwell and had a fever, so she stayed in bed. I'm fine; I just have a headache, probably because I didn't sleep enough. I looked after Poppy over the night," Minerva admitted in a small voice, causing the teacher to gently place a hand on her own.

"In that case, I suggest that you return to your dormitory and look after your friend. If she is still ill tonight, I want her to go to the hospital wing. And you go to bed and get some sleep. Please practise the transfiguration over the holidays. I'll excuse you for your last class."

"Thank you, Professor," Minerva replied gratefully, quickly stuck her book in her bag and headed back to Gryffindor after exchanging a glance with Rolanda, who gave her a comforting nod and promised to wake her up in time for her detention. When she entered the dormitory, Poppy seemed to be peacefully asleep, and Minerva headed straight to bed, drifting off to sleep within seconds.

Minerva woke up when Rolanda gently shook her shoulder. "Minnie, it's time for your detention."

"Alright; how is Poppy?" Minerva mumbled tiredly, noticing that her headache hadn't improved at all.

"She is still asleep," Rolanda replied. "Can you quickly check on her, before you go?"

Minerva scrambled out of bed, sitting down on the edge of the next bed, and hesitantly felt her friend's forehead. "She's still hot," she said worriedly, before she pointed her wand at Poppy's head to take her temperature. "Rolanda, I don't have time, but could you please inform Professor Dumbledore? He'll have to contact her parents and tell them that she can't go home tomorrow. Please tell him to contact mine, too. I'm going to stay here with Poppy."

"Alright, Minnie, I'll tell him. Are you alright? You don't look good either."

"I only have a terrible headache; other than that I'm fine, but I really have to run," Minerva replied and hurriedly left for the dungeons.

Professor Malkin let her brew the potion, which they had brewed in class that morning, once more, and knowing that she really had to practise the brewing of potions, Minerva didn't ask the teacher to adjourn her detention, although her headache worsened by the minute.

Professor Malkin was an older woman with brown eyes and long black hair, which she had pulled up to a knot. She was extremely stern but also showed understanding for her students.

"Ms. McGonagall, are you feeling well?" she asked her student, after she had witnessed that Minerva forcefully rubbed her forehead for the fifth time.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I just have a bad headache," Minerva admitted. Seeing that the professor gave her a piercing look, she added, "Poppy is sick, and I spent the night looking after her. Professor Dumbledore already sent me to bed, so that I could get some sleep, but my headache is still getting worse."

The teacher quickly banished Minerva's half finished potion before it could explode and headed over into her office, motioning her student to follow her. She handed Minerva a phial, explaining that it was a headache potion. Minerva gratefully gulped the cool liquid down, sighing in relief. "Thank you so much, Professor," she said gratefully, handing back the empty phial.

"You're welcome," the teacher told her, still looking at her piercingly, before she laid a hand on her forehead, frowning as it felt a bit warm to the touch. "You should be tired due to the lack of sleep, but not necessarily have such a headache. If you still have problems tomorrow morning, come back, so that I can check on you, since the hospital wing is already closed for the holidays and I'm substituting for Madam Connelly. Now please return to your dormitory and go to bed."

"Thank you, Professor. Good night," Minerva replied and hurried back to the Gryffindor tower.

"My, that was fast," Rolanda greeted her, who was sitting on the edge of Poppy's bed. "By the way, I couldn't reach Professor Dumbledore. He wasn't in his office, but I left a message and asked him to come to us when he's back."

"Oh alright," Minerva said, giving Poppy a concerned look. "Maybe we should ask Professor Malkin to come and check on her. She told me that Madam Connelly is already on holidays. She let me go because of my headache, although it improved a lot after she gave me a potion for it."

"You should go back to bed, Minnie; like I said, you don't look well."

Minerva woke up an hour later. The first thing she realized was that her headache was back full force. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Rolanda and Professors Dumbledore and Malkin were standing between her and Poppy's bed, quietly discussing something.

"Minnie, Poppy has the wizard's measles; did you already have them?" Rolanda quickly informed her.

"No, I don't think so," Minerva replied, unconsciously rubbing her forehead.

"Does your head hurt again?" Professor Malkin asked alarmed and stepped over to Minerva, putting a cold hand on her forehead. "Do you feel unwell?" she asked, before she pointed her wand at her head.

"Apart from the headache I'm fine," Minerva replied wearily, slightly shivering at the professor's cold touch.

"You're running a slight temperature," the teacher informed Minerva, glancing at Dumbledore. "We have to keep Minerva here in any case," she said firmly.

"I want to remain here with Poppy anyway," Minerva replied, scrambling out of bed to look after her friend. "How is Poppy?"

"She'll have to spend the whole holidays in bed, but I want you to go back to bed and stay there until I'll be back in the morning to check on you. You're clearly not fine either," Professor Malkin told her and gently tucked her in, noticing that the girl sighed in relief as her head hit the pillow.

"I'll stay and help Minerva look after Poppy," Rolanda announced, and Minerva threw her a grateful look.

"I'm sorry, Maria, that I can't be of any help except for writing to the parents," Minerva heard Dumbledore say to his colleague as the teachers left the room.

Minerva could hardly sleep that night. She woke up every thirty minutes, worrying about Poppy and noticing that not only her head but also her throat had become incredibly sore. At two o'clock in the morning, she dragged herself over to Poppy's bed, where she sat down on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on her forehead in concern. '_Is she better?_' she mused, having the impression as if her friend wasn't as hot anymore, but when she took her temperature, glad that the spell worked properly, her fever was still very high.

Just like the night before, Minerva spent the next hours bathing her friend's flushed face, wondering what else she could do to make her friend feel better.

"Minerva, what are you doing here?" she suddenly heard Poppy's voice.

"Poppy! How are you feeling?" Minerva enquired worriedly.

"Not so good," Poppy admitted. "My throat hurts and my skin itches." She pointed to a small phial on her night table. "Could you help me spread that over my back please?"

Minerva gently spread the ointment over Poppy's whole body that was already covered with a rash, feeling very sorry to see her friend shiver violently as she took the covers off her to apply the ointment. Finally, Poppy sighed in relief. "Thank you, Minnie."

"That's alright Poppy. I'm going to stay here with you over the holidays as is Rolanda."

Poppy threw her a horrified look. "Minnie, you don't have to stay here on my behalf, I'll be fine."

"Minnie, what are you doing out of bed?" Rolanda suddenly asked, sitting down next to Minerva. "Malkin told you to stay in bed, didn't she?"

Minerva groaned. "Yes, but I'm fine, or at least well enough to look after Poppy."

Poppy threw her friends a stern look. "Rolanda, what's wrong with Minnie? Have you already had the wizard's measles, Minnie?"

"No, she hasn't, and since she had a bad headache all day and was running a slight temperature, Malkin told her to stay in bed until she came to check on her in the morning."

A horrified expression flashed over Poppy's face. "Rolanda, please hand me my wand," she said and when her friend complied pointed it at Minerva's head. "That's not a slight temperature; that's a fever," she stated, frowning, and waved her wand at her friend. "No, you don't have the wizard's measles though, at least not yet."

"Okay, and since Rolanda is here now, I think I'll go back to bed. I don't feel too well," Minerva replied, noticing that her voice was starting to fail. She stood up, glad that Rolanda was at her side steadying her when dizziness overcame her. A few minutes later, she found herself back in her bed, not knowing how she had managed to return. However, her teeth were chattering badly and she was shivering violently.

"Rolanda," she croaked. "Can you ask Poppy if there's any fever reducer left, please?"

"Minerva, what's wrong?" Poppy asked worriedly and scrambled out of bed, ignoring Rolanda's protest. She waved her wand at Minerva and once more cast a diagnostic spell at her friend. "No, you don't have the measles yet. Perhaps it's something else," she croaked and once more raised her wand, before she had a coughing fit that caused Rolanda to gently lead her back to her bed, reprimanding her to remain in bed. "Wait a moment," Poppy asked her, while she sat on the edge of her bed. She pointed her wand to one of the fever reducing potions and spelled it straight into Minerva's stomach. "That better, Minnie?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes, thank you, Poppy," Minerva croaked and nestled deeper under her covers, gratefully noticing that Rolanda wiped her hot face with a cool cloth. "Feels good," she mumbled, while she reached out and held her friend's cold hand against her hot cheek. A minute later, Minerva was already fast asleep.

She woke up a while later and saw that Professor Malkin was leaning over her, trying to look under her pyjama top. "I can't see any rash yet," the teacher said to Professor Dumbledore and quickly tucked Minerva back in when she saw that the girl began to shiver. But she seems to be getting it; she still has a slight fever." She sighed. "Ms. McGonagall, if you feel well enough to get up, you may do so. However, I want you to be here for a check up right after lunch and dinner. If you're not in bed over the mealtimes, please come to the Great Hall. I don't want you to miss any meals. The same goes for Ms. Hooch."

"Okay," Minerva replied wearily and looked around for her friends. "Where..."

"Ms. Hooch went to fly after breakfast, and Ms. Pomfrey is asleep," the teacher informed her gently. "Ms. Pomfrey doesn't need anything, before I'll be back. However, she might ask you to apply her ointment once more, if her skin itches too much."

"No problem," Minerva agreed and closed her achy eyes, not noticing the concerned look Malkin threw Dumbledore. She only opened her eyes again when she heard Rolanda enter the dormitory.

The girl came straight over and sat down on the edge of her bed. "How are you, Minnie, and what did Malkin say?"

"She said I could get up if I wanted, but I'm not sure if I want," Minerva replied hoarsely. "I don't feel too well, and I don't want to study or read anyway."

"Let's go flying; that always helps against headaches," Rolanda suggested, showing Minerva the Snitch she was carrying around in her robe pocket.

"Okay," Minerva agreed in spite of knowing that her condition wouldn't improve and that Poppy would never allow her to fly if she wasn't asleep. She scrambled out of her bed, waved her wand at herself to change her clothes, and grabbed her broom. "Let's go then."

By the time Minerva took into the air, she knew for sure that it hadn't been a good idea to go flying. Her whole body felt sore as it hit the cold December air. However, Rolanda had already released the Snitch, and Minerva tried her best to fly after the quickly hiding ball for a few minutes. She remained on her broom for ten minutes, trying to overcome the dizziness to no avail, before she slowly made her way down to the ground, afraid to fall from her broom if she continued to fly. She sat down on the ground, leaning on to a tree next to the lake and watched her friend, who was so engrossed in her search for the Snitch that she hadn't even noticed yet that Minerva wasn't flying anymore.

Suddenly, Rolanda landed right in front of Minerva. "Minnie, what's wrong? Are you feeling worse?"

"Sorry, I was too dizzy to fly," Minerva apologized. All of a sudden, she noticed that she felt absolutely horrible. "Rolanda, I need to go to bed; I don't feel well," she told her friend, who gently helped her up and took her broom from her.

"Let me carry that. You concentrate on walking, Minnie. I'm sorry for suggesting to come here. I didn't want you to aggravate your condition," Rolanda replied, worriedly noticing that her friend's cheeks were deeply flashed and pearls of sweat were building on her forehead in spite of the cold air they were in.

They had just made their way into the entrance hall when they met Abraxas Malfoy, a Slytherin fifth year student, who was an arrogant pure blood wizard. "Oh, if it's not two third of the perfect Trio," he sneered. "Did you lose a third somewhere? Didn't your parents want to endure your presence over Christmas? Well, I wouldn't..."

"Shut up you arrogant fool," Rolanda interrupted him in an angry voice, pulling her wand.

"Rolanda, put your wand away," Minerva croaked, before she leaned against the wall in absolute exhaustion.

"Oh, already backing up, are we, McGonagall?" Malfoy continued and raised his wand.

Before he could even cast a spell, Professors Malkin and Dumbledore entered the castle on their way back from escorting the students to the station in Hogsmeade.

"What is happening here?" Malkin asked in a dangerously quiet voice, quickly assessing the situation. "Mr. Malfoy, perhaps you can explain."

"They were annoying me," Malfoy sneered.

"No, Professor; we just wanted to go back to our dormitory because Minerva doesn't feel well, but he insulted us, saying that we were staying here, because our families couldn't endure us over Christmas or something," Rolanda replied.

"Ms. McGonagall is ill and certainly didn't intend to anger you, Mr. Malfoy, and the same goes for Ms. Hooch, who is taking care of her. Twenty points from Slytherin for harassing other students," Dumbledore threw in sternly.

"And you better move now, because I already saw your grandfather wait for you at the station half an hour ago," Malkin added, glaring at her student, who hurriedly left the castle.

"Thank you very much, Professors," Minerva said hoarsely, and the two students slowly made their way back to Gryffindor.

When they entered the dormitory, Poppy was sitting in her bed, writing a letter. "Sorry, could any of you take my Christmas presents to the owlery later on, please?" she asked, giving her friends a pleading look, before she noticed that Minerva looked outright ill. "Minnie, go to bed," she instructed her friend in a stern voice.

"Yes, but you're right. We have to owl the Christmas presents to our parents," Minerva croaked. "I never thought about that. I have to write a letter too."

"So do I," Rolanda added, and over the next hour, the three girls busied themselves writing Christmas letters to their families.

"I still feel bad that you remain here just on my behalf," Poppy croaked while she put her quill and parchments away.

"It's not only on your behalf," Minerva sighed, while she fiercely rubbed her forehead. '_Oh my, I'm glad I'm not sitting on the Hogwarts Express right now_,' she mused.

"Minnie, how are you feeling?" Poppy asked in concern as she got a good look into her friend's flushed face.

"Quite horrible," Minerva admitted, while she put her quill away and lay down on her bed.

Poppy scrambled out of her bed, grabbing her wand while she held on to the night table to steady herself for a moment, before she stepped over to Minerva's bed, sitting down next to her friend. She quickly pointed her wand to Minerva's head to take her temperature. "40.0 (104) degrees!" she exclaimed horrified. "Minnie, how can you run around the castle with such a high fever? Rolanda, you must make her stay in bed when I'm asleep," she finished in a reproachful voice, before she coughed violently. She returned to her own bed, glad that Rolanda was there and steadied her, where she once more spelled a fever reducing potion into Minerva's stomach.

"Minnie, lie down and rest. You won't go anywhere today," she commanded her friend, once more ending up in a coughing fit.

"That's much better; thank you, Poppy," Minerva mumbled gratefully and nestled deep into her covers. '_I won't get up anymore today, at least not willingly_,' she mused, feeling absolutely horrible.

Rolanda had just left the room to head to the owlery, when Professor Malkin entered the room. She checked on Poppy first.

"Do you feel any change yet?" she asked softly, while she gently applied the ointment on the rash.

"No," Poppy replied hoarsely. "Should I already feel an improvement?"

"Probably not; the pain will become a bit more bearable over the next few days, although it'll take two weeks before the rash will be completely gone. Your fever, which is still very high, should come down a degree or two, although you'll probably constantly have a slight fever over the next two weeks."

"Thank you, Professor, for looking after me," Poppy said gratefully and obediently gulped down the potions the teacher handed her.

"You're welcome, Ms. Pomfrey," Professor Malkin replied softly and carefully adjusted a cool cloth to Poppy's forehead, before she stood from the edge of the bed and headed over to Minerva.

"How are you feeling, Ms. McGonagall?" she asked, while she took her temperature.

"Same as in the morning," Minerva croaked, not wanting to whine about feeling horrible in front of the Slytherin Head of House.

The teacher sighed. "Your rash didn't start yet I suppose, seeing that your fever is still moderate."

"I don't know, but it doesn't itch or such," Minerva replied, but was interrupted by Poppy.

"No Professor, she had a very high fever of 40 (104) degrees, but I spelled a fever reducer into her stomach a while ago," Poppy croaked from her bed, causing the teacher to throw her an exasperated look.

"I'm sorry Professor; it was my fault, I asked her for it, because I was so cold and felt so horrible," Minerva said hoarsely.

"Alright, but I don't want you to repeat this during the day anymore. I'll be back when you both need your next dose of potions and need to get your ointment applied again. Both of you are on absolute bed rest until I tell you otherwise. If I see you with as much as a foot out of bed, you'll be in trouble," the professor told Minerva and Poppy in a soft voice. "Ms. Hooch, I don't want you to miss any meals in the Great Hall," she turned to Rolanda, who had just entered the room. "If you so much as miss a meal, I'm going to assign you detention in the Potions classroom. When you come back from lunch, you can call a house elf and try to make your friends eat some chicken broth."

"Okay," Rolanda agreed and followed the teacher out of the room to head to the Great Hall.

Minerva and Poppy spent most of the afternoon asleep. Rolanda took turns sitting on the edge of Minerva's bed and then again on Poppy's, and she had the impression that Minerva was feeling even worse than Poppy, although she didn't even have a rash yet.

It was late in the evening when the teachers had already left them for the night, instructing Rolanda to call them from the fireplace in the common room if they needed them, that Rolanda was once again sitting next to Minerva, wiping her flushed face.

"Minnie, I don't feel well. I think I'm getting sick too," she all of a sudden said, and before Minerva could even react, Rolanda passed out on the floor.

Minerva scrambled out of her bed, horrified. "Rolanda," she tried to wake her friend up to no avail. "Poppy, wake up, you have to help me," she then tried to wake the other girl up, lightly shaking her shoulder.

"I'll make her float to her own bed," Poppy told Minerva, before she let out a gasp when she took her temperature. "Her fever is as high as yours, Minnie. Can you try to get down to the common room and fire-call Malkin?"

"I'll try," Minerva promised and slowly made her way out of the room. She had to hold on to the wall in order not to pass out of the dizziness and finally crawled through the common room to the fireplace.

"Professor Malkin!" she shouted hoarsely, leaning into the fire.

"Ms. McGonagall," the teacher replied a minute later. "Please step out of the way, and I'll come through."

Minerva complied, resting her head against the sofa.

"What's wrong?" Malkin enquired worriedly, crouching next to her on the floor.

"Rolanda fainted and has a high fever. Please go and look after her; I'll be fine," Minerva croaked tiredly, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

Professor Malkin turned back to the fireplace. "Dumbledore, come over to Gryffindor NOW," she shouted, before she lifted Minerva up onto the sofa and told her, "Professor Dumbledore will help you back to your bed."

The Gryffindor Head of House, who stepped out of the fireplace that instant, replied, "Of course I will," scooping Minerva up in his arms as if she was a small child. He gently laid her on her bed and tucked her in, adjusting a cool cloth to her forehead. "You're burning up, Minerva," he said softly, giving the girl a worried look.

"I know, but I'm alright. What's wrong with Rolanda?" Minerva croaked, looking over to where Professor Malkin was checking on her friend, whom Poppy had already enervated, before the teacher arrived.

"The wizard's flu," the professor diagnosed and spelled a flu potion and a fever reducer into her stomach. "Absolute bed rest of course, just like your friends," she told the girl, before she headed to Minerva. "Ms. McGonagall, let me check on you, please. I was so sure that you had the measles that I didn't check you for the flu."

"Kay," Minerva replied miserably, following the professor's movement from her half open eyes.

"Yes, you have the wizard's flu as well. I'm sorry, Ms. McGonagall, for not realizing that earlier."

"You couldn't have known," Minerva whispered, glad when the professor spelled the flu potion into her stomach instead of making her drink it.

"I can't give you a fever reducing potion so soon again, but I'll give you a light sleeping draught that'll help you rest over the next few hours," the teacher explained in a soft voice, watching in concern as Minerva drifted off to sleep.

"I didn't think of that either," Poppy croaked from her bed. "I was so worried that she'd catch the wizard's measles from me."

"Don't worry, Ms. Pomfrey; as long as Minerva won't get the wizard's measles on top of the wizard's flu, your friends will both be fine in a week's time. Over the next few nights, I'm going to take one of the empty beds here in your dormitory and stay with you, so that I can check on you during the night," she told Poppy and Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry, Maria, but I believe that would be the best," Dumbledore replied, watching as she spelled a sleeping draught into Poppy's stomach as well.

Over the next week, Minerva and Rolanda remained very ill. They didn't even notice that they missed Christmas. Poppy still had her rash, which was unnerving, and a slight fever, but she felt much better after a few days, and seeing how she mastered all kinds of diagnostic spells and healing spells, Professor Malkin grudgingly allowed her to get up every few hours to check on her friends and spell their potions into their stomachs. Of course, she still came three times a day to look after the girls, but she was glad to be able to return to her own quarters, since she had much work left after spending so much time in Gryffindor.

One morning, Professor Malkin entered the dormitory, expecting to have to chase Poppy back to bed as usual, when she saw that the girl was huddled deep under her covers, shivering violently. She went straight over to her and laid a hand on her forehead. The girl was burning up. A quick diagnostic spell confirmed that Poppy had caught the wizard's flu on top of her illness.

"Professor, I'm already better, and I can look after her," Minerva told the teacher, knowing from a witnessed conversation between Malkin and Dumbledore that the Slytherin Head of House had lots of other work to do apart from looking after them.

"Only if you promise to call me immediately, if you feel worse," the teacher replied sternly. "You still have a fever, and you are still on bed rest. Apart from that you can still get the wizard's measles since the incubation time isn't over yet."

In spite of the teacher's instructions, Minerva spent most of the day sitting with her ill friend, who was delirious with a very high fever.

In the morning of the last day of the holidays, on which the other students were going to come back in the evening, Professor Malkin came to check on Poppy a last time. "I'm sorry, Ms. Pomfrey, but you're still running a slight fever, and you can't go back to classes yet. Since I can't come up here to check on you after everyone returns, you can either go to the hospital wing for a few days..."

Seeing that the girl vehemently shook her head, she continued, "Or we can ask Ms. McGonagall to check your temperature twice a day and write it on this parchment." She handed Poppy a parchment. "I can see what you write on a parchment in my quarters, and I can reply. I will give you instructions, which potions you still have to take. If you promise to stay in bed or on the sofa in the common room until I tell you otherwise..."

"Yes please," Poppy replied pleadingly. "Thank you so much, Professor."

"All right then," the teacher replied and left the room, instructing Minerva and Rolanda to attend lunch in the Great Hall.

The girls complied, but Minerva only managed to eat a few bites when she suddenly noticed that she didn't feel well at all. She pushed her plate away and rested her achy head on her arms, not noticing that everyone looked at her surprised.

Before the Mediwitch even noticed that something was wrong with the girl, Professor Malkin hurried over to Minerva in alarm and felt her burning forehead, before she pointed to the rash that was beginning to spread on her neck and stated, "The wizard's measles. Your sick winter holidays are still going to continue, Ms. McGonagall."

**Fin**

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